What to see
- Kenroku-en — one of the three great gardens of Japan, best at opening or under snow, when the pines wear their yukitsuri rope supports.
- Nagamachi — the samurai quarter, earthen walls and water channels, with the Nomura house open to visitors.
- Higashi Chaya — the eastern teahouse district, gold-leaf shops and lattice frontages; Kazue-machi across the river is quieter.
- The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art — circular, glass, partly free, with Leandro Erlich's swimming pool.
- Omicho Market — the city's kitchen since the Edo period. Sea of Japan winter fish is exceptional.
Why it fits an itinerary
The Hokuriku Shinkansen puts Kanazawa about two and a half hours from Tokyo, and it connects onward to Kyoto via Tsuruga or across to Takayama by bus. Adding it costs one travel leg and breaks the Tokyo–Kyoto run into two civilised halves.
It is also where the crafts are: Kaga yuzen dyeing, Ohi ware, gold leaf — Kanazawa produces the overwhelming majority of Japan's — and Wajima lacquer from the nearby Noto peninsula.
If a first trip has one addition beyond the standard route, this is the one that pays best.